City approves Lake Flato design agreement and moves forward on Blue Hole park projects

The Wimberley City Council on Nov. 20 approved a professional services agreement with Lake Flato to design the Blue Hole Nature Center and voted to advance several park projects at Blue Hole Regional Park, including removal of a decommissioned spray/drain field fence, rehabilitation of a leveled treatment area, and installation of trail wayfinding signage.

Erica Flocky, who presented the contracts and project details, told the council the Lake Flato agreement covers design and construction oversight services and that Parks Board recommended removing formal LEED certification to reduce documentation costs. Flocky said adjusting certification expectations trimmed the listed contract price; the revised total design contract and owner‑directed allowances were presented in the meeting packet.

Garrett from Lake Flato (introduced by staff) said the firm would design to LEED guidelines for sustainability but not pursue the formal certification because the certification process can add substantial costs and documentation requirements. “We still fully plan to design to LEED and produce a sustainable project,” he said.

Council members asked whether the Lake Flato fee included architectural and engineering disciplines and whether construction bidding would follow the design phase. Staff confirmed the agreement covers Lake Flato fees as well as structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, landscape, civil and specification writing; construction bidding and permitting will follow design and a separate solicitation process.

The council approved the Lake Flato professional services agreement by unanimous vote. The body also voted to remove the fence around the decommissioned spray/drain field and seed the area with a native prairie mix (including milkweed), to begin rehabilitation of a leveled treatment area previously cleared and filled with caliche, and to implement a wayfinding signage plan for the park’s trail network using color‑coded symbols on cedar posts. Those park items passed unanimously; the fence removal vote was recorded five‑zero.

Flocky flagged project funding sources such as a $3 million allocation from the 2020 Hays County Parks Bond for the Blue Hole Nature Center and noted the Lake Flato design target keeps fees under $1,000,000 while fitting construction inside a $4,000,000 bond fund budget. Council members suggested public outreach and press materials as crews begin work on visible park improvements.

Next steps: staff will finalize the Lake Flato contract details, proceed to a solicitation for construction bids after design and permitting, and begin the trail signage and reclamation work in the winter months as planned.